24 Auburn Student-Athletes Graduate In Fall Commencement

24 Auburn Student-Athletes Graduate In Fall Commencement

Auburn, Ala. – At Saturday’s commencement, 24 Auburn student-athletes were part of Auburn University’s Fall 2012 graduating class. The graduates represent 11 of Auburn’s sport programs, including seven former football players, four members of the equestrian team, three volleyball student-athletes, two from softball, men’s swimming and women’s soccer, and one each from baseball, men’s golf, women’s gymnastics, men’s track and women’s basketball.

“When student-athletes make a decision to attend Auburn University, they realize that we are committed to their academic success and their athletic success,” said Gary Waters, Sr. Associate Athletics Director, Student-Athlete Support Services. “With that being said, our primary goal is to make sure our student-athletes are prepared for the day when their athletic career in competition comes to an end.

“We want their athletic career to last as long as our student-athletes would like. However, if our student-athletes have a degree in hand like the 24 student-athletes that graduated this weekend, they will be well prepared for the next stage of their life. We congratulate our student-athletes, their families and their friends, and we share in their pride.”

In softball, the graduates are Elizabeth Eisterhold (Owasso, Okla.) and Morgan Murphy (Germantown, Tenn.). Men’s swimming and diving graduates are Adam Godzinski (Fontenay aux Roses, France) and Karl Krug (Yucaipa, Calif.), while the women’s soccer graduates are Julie King (St. Louis, Mo.) and Jessica Rightmer (Austin, Texas); King is also a member of the Auburn women’s basketball team.

This class of graduates included nine members of SEC championship teams, three all-SEC selections, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, an eight-time All-American, six selections to the SEC community service team, the SEC defensive player of the year, a four-time SEC individual champion, and five selections to the SEC academic honor roll. The 24 graduates collectively hail from 11 states and two countries.